Ask-A-Linguist Message Details

Subject:

Are artificial languages considered real languages?

Question:

Can artificial languages (from Esperanto, to Loglan, to Klingon) be
considered real languages in the field of linguistics? What are the
characteristics that would make them ''real'' or ''fake'' languages based
on how linguists define language?
I have read some of the previous questions and answers about
artificial languages but I have not really found anything that
specifically answers this question. One characteristic mentioned in
the case of Esperanto was the fact that some Esperanto speakers are
native speakers. Some linguists seemed to agree that having native
speakers made Esperanto a natural language while others did not
think so. I would greatly appreciate any input. Thank you very much.